Author: Mónica B. Wagner

Guest Review: Frosh: Second Chances by Monica B. Wagner

Posted October 24, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Frosh: Second Chances by Monica B. WagnerReviewer: Tracy
Frosh: Second Chances by Mónica B. Wagner
Series: Frosh Series #2
Also in this series: Frosh: First Blush

Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Genres: New Adult
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

In FROSH: FIRST BLUSH, Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie spent their welcome week falling head over heels for each other—before totally falling apart. Now, in FROSH: SECOND CHANCES, they’ll have to pick up the pieces.

After ruining Grant’s football career (and her own reputation), Ellie has been trying to lie low—which means not making more enemies. But some students still want her to pay for what she did, and now, Ellie’s determined to fight back—and fight for Grant.

Grant is adjusting to his new reality: no more football means no more free passes in class, and definitely no more distractions; especially from Ellie, whom he misses even after she destroyed his world. Can he find a way to move on without her—and without football?

Devon finally has it all: her brother's sober and her boyfriend is an adorkable genius. But when her parents threaten to tear her and Charlie apart because he doesn't 'fit' into their high society, she will go to dangerous lengths to prove that nothing—nothing—can defeat Devon Connors.

Charlie’s never questioned who he is: pre-med science geek, and now, Devon Connors’ boyfriend. But when he discovers a secret about his past, Charlie isn’t sure of anything—especially whether he can trust Devon with the truth.

This is the second book and the series.  After the first ended in a cliffhanger I wasn’t sure that I wanted to read book 2 until book 3 came out.  I really don’t like being left in the dark.  Unfortunately I have no patience so went ahead and read this one. 🙂

The story starts a few weeks after book one ends and its Ellie, Grant, Devon and Charlie trying to get their lives back on track.  Without giving spoilers from book 1 let’s just say that the shit majorly hit the fan and Grant and Ellie’s budding relationship couldn’t stand the fallout.  He wanted time away from her because he life was in flux but he still cared about her and wanted to be with her.  Ellie is trying to survive being the cause of so many bad things happening when it really wasn’t her fault.  A secret society starts trying to bully her to try to get her to leave the school – it’s a mess.  Unfortunately Grant and Ellie’s feelings for each other are all over the place and sadly they mostly spend the book apart rather than together.  The story ends on a high note for the two so I’m hoping in book 3 they can settle everything between them.

Devon and Charlie…was there ever a more unlikely pair?  He’s earnest and such a nerd and she’s a spoiled rich girl who truly cares about him but does the wrong things for the right reasons.  Of course that never really works out for people and it didn’t in this case.  While Devon was trying to save her relationship with Charlie from her mother’s scheming she was imploding it at the same time by being secretive and always running off.  Charlie gets some big news and hates that he can’t even tell Devon.  The way the story ended for these two makes me think that they’ll have others in their lives before long but I honestly can’t tell how that relationship will turn out.

I liked the story and getting a bit more info on the couples was nice but frankly the story didn’t go anywhere, imho.  It was more like things were happening but we really got no conclusions at all except maybe one with Charlie.  To me the book felt more like a place holder and some slices of life than a complete book – but that’s my opinion, of course.  I truly am ready for book 3 but since book 1 & 2 were almost a year apart in publication I think I’ll have to wait a while. 🙁

Rating: 3 out of 5

three-stars


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Guest Review: Frosh: First Blush by Mónica B. Wagner

Posted December 29, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Frosh: First Blush by Mónica B. WagnerReviewer: Tracy
Frosh: First BlushSeries: Frosh Series #1
Also in this series: Frosh: Second Chances

Publication Date: October 20, 2015
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

 

Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself—and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble.

Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He’s got a reputation to protect.

High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the “it” boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried—or so she thinks.

Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emergency room?

Ellie wants nothing more than to be given the editorial assistant job at her college newspaper but she’s then given an assignment she wants nothing to do with. She’s supposed to find out the “real” story behind quarterback Grant Landry but she really isn’t a sports girl and feels like there’s no story. She’s not sure what there is to find out and since no one can get near the guy for an interview Ellie has to be creative. She ends up at a party where she meets a guy she has an interesting conversation with. When she finds out after a night of talking that HE is Grant Landry she’s shocked as she found him nothing like what she thought a QB would be like.

Grant and Ellie hit it off but then she finds some strange things going on – like he’s getting a lap dance in a strip club with the chair of the boosters right there. When Grant tries to explain a package of pills falls out of his pocket and Ellie’s not sure what to believe when he says he’s not doping. Then she catches him doing a hand-off of a baggie and catches it on film. She really likes Grant but he’s certainly not the person that she’s gotten to know and now she has a story, but does she really want to write it and throw Grant under the bus just to get her editorial assistants job?

Devon is a rich, entitled girl who feels like she has the world at her feet and she has her sights set on a certain man. She knows she’s the most beautiful girl in the room so she’s not even worried that he’ll want her too. She has his name wrong but when she finds out it’s Grant Landry she knows she’ll get him – but he doesn’t seem interested. She ends up leaving a party but is followed home by a pre-med geek (just to make sure she gets there ok as she’s had a few to drink). Devon ends up taking him to bed but though she keeps going after Grant she can’t seem to get Charlie off her brain. Unfortunately she’s got her best friend “running interference” and all that does is create tension and miscommunication between Charlie and Devon.

This is new New Adult series and so far it’s pretty good. I didn’t necessarily care for the way that the story was laid out (different sections being told by different characters but in 3rd person POV) but it ended up getting the story told in the end whether I liked the layout or not.

The storyline with Devon and Charlie was cute but I truly didn’t like Devon all that much. I was hoping that she was brought down a peg or two when she started liking Charlie but she was just so arrogant and conceited it was hard to see if it would ever happen.

Grant and Ellie’s story was the one that I was pretty enamored with as it had a lot of ins and outs and ups and downs. It was fascinating to read about. I was totally into the last few chapters of the book and was madly turning pages and then…it ended. ARG! I didn’t realize when I first started reading that it was a continuing story – I thought each book would be encapsulated. I thought wrong. There was a huge problem at the end of this book involving Grant and Ellie and boom! – I have no idea how that turned out as it ended! Frustrating. Of course I’ll be reading book two to find out what happened but frankly I may wait until book three is released before doing so because I really hate cliffhangers!

In the end a good book but one that ended frustratingly. If you like NA and cute romances AND If you don’t mind cliffhangers then I’d pick this one up.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

three-half-stars


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